Cape Breton University (CBU), formerly known as the "University College of Cape Breton" (UCCB), is a Canadian university in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Located near Sydney, CBU is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution on Cape Breton Island. The university is enabled by the Cape Breton University Act passed by the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.[5] Prior to this, CBU was enabled by the University College of Cape Breton Act (amended).[6] The University College of Cape Breton's Coat of Arms were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on May 27, 1995.[7]

CBU traces its roots to 1951 when the St. Francis Xavier University Sydney Campus was opened as a satellite campus of St. Francis Xavier University. Also referred to informally as "St. Francis Xavier Junior College" or "Xavier Junior College" (XJC) and colloquially as "Little X", the St. Francis Xavier University Sydney Campus was situated in Sydney's central business district and saw several buildings opened as a result of growth during its first decade of operation.

While working as librarian at Xavier Junior College, Mother St. Margaret of Scotland (Sister Margaret Beaton) recognized that documents of historical significance to Cape Breton Island were being lost. In 1957 Sister Beaton responded to this challenge and established Cape Bretoniana.

The Nova Scotia Eastern Institute of Technology (NSEIT) opened in 1968 on Grand Lake Road (Trunk 4) several kilometres east of the Sydney city limits. This institution focused on business technology and trades and its development was largely enabled by federal and provincial funding at a time when the coal and steel industries in Industrial Cape Breton were facing serious financial challenges.

In the early 1970s, the provincial and federal governments, as well as the local community, recognized the need for developing an institution of higher learning in the economically challenged Industrial Cape Breton region. With assistance from the Cape Breton Development Corporation, St. Francis Xavier University Sydney Campus and NSEIT were merged into the College of Cape Breton (CCB) in June 1974.

In 1980, the former NSEIT campus on Grand Lake Road was expanded as the institution consolidated at this location. The Government of Nova Scotia granted CCB a charter for granting university degrees in 1982 which saw the institution rename itself as the University College of Cape Breton (UCCB). UCCB united diverse education streams such as the liberal arts and sciences with technological and vocational diploma programs.[9]

In 2004, UCCB undertook several studies on how to better position the institution locally, regionally and nationally. One recommendation arising out of these studies was to rename the institution to remove the reference to "college", in recognition of its transformation over the past two decades into primarily a university level institution. This process led to UCCB transferring its trades and technology programs to the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) which operated its "Marconi Campus" (the former NSEIT) which is co-located on the Grand Lake Road campus.

On September 23, 2004 the university's board of governors voted unanimously to rename the institution Breton University, however the proposed name received opposition from a number of groups in the institution and local community over the removal of the word "Cape" from the proposed new name, thus the name Cape Breton University was adopted instead. The name change became official through the University College of Cape Breton Act (amended) which received Royal Assent on May 19, 2005.

The Beaton Institute, housed at CBU, is the second largest public archive in Nova Scotia. The Beaton Institute operates as a regional archive from and about Cape Breton Island's history, society, politics, economy, health, people, places, and events. The collection includes paper records, photographs, film, video, audio materials, books, maps, plans, and microfilms.[10]

The original CBU campus structures were built in the 1960s. A major expansion was undertaken for the 1987 Canada Winter Games which saw extensive sports facilities built at the campus. During the 1990s over $20 million were spent on several campus expansions that saw residences, a Student, Culture, and Heritage Centre, and various academic and research facilities were constructed.[11]

The university continued to expand with major campus additions initiated in 2009. As a collaborative player, CBU became a lead partner in the establishment of the Cape Breton Health Recreation Complex. The $10 million project is a newly opened health and recreation community facility situated on the CBU campus. It provides CBU students and the community with access to a track and field operation and year round indoor soccer facilities as well as a fitness centre.[11]

CBU is growing in terms or residence and enhanced food services through the construction of Harriss Hall, a new student residence and dining hall, in September 2010.[12] The residence halls now offer meal service and living space for over 550 students.[11]

The establishment of the Verschuren Centre Centre for Sustainability in Energy & Environment (CSEE) is a major part of CBU’s commitment to growth in research, specifically in efforts to balance needs for new sources of energy and increasing environmental sustainability. With public and private investment, construction on the CSEE began in 2010. Additionally,in 2012, the new Shannon School of Business building opened and became the new home of the Shannon School of Business faculty and programs.[12]

Cape Breton University serves more than 3,300 full-time and part-time students from local, regional and national locations.[4] CBU is also the academic home of several hundred international students representing more than 50 countries.[13]

Virtually all Cape Breton University degree, diploma and certificate programs offer a transition-to-work component through co-op education, work placements, internships and work-study programs.[12]

CBU has four faculties and one affiliated college and offers the following programs:

"In 2010, Unama’ki College was founded as an offshoot of the school specializing in Mi’kmaq history, culture and education." As of 2013, "it has some 250 aboriginal students. Its library holds 1,500 books on aboriginal issues and 7,000 documents."[14]

CBU is a small comprehensive university that performs over $3 million in externally funded research and employed over 65 students as researchers in 2011.[16][17] The Office of Research and Graduate Studies publishes two annual research publication titled Research Matters, as well as a separate student Research Matters magazine.[16] Research chairs and programs at CBU include:[11]

Two Tier 1 & One Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs

Integrative Science

Intangible Cultural Heritage

Molecular Spectroscopy

Chair in Mine Water Management

Projects funded by all federal granting councils

CFI, NSRIT, AIF projects

Currently CBU offers two graduate programs (Master of Business Administration in Community Economic Development and Masters of Education in Information Technology) with two additional graduate programs in development(Social Justice and Heritage Management).[18]

The Cape Breton University Students' Union provides services such as the Emergency Bursary Fund, funding and management of societies, health and dental plans, Women’s Centre, Pride and Ally Centre, Capers Helping Capers: The Orange Initiative, The Pit (campus bar), Caper Convenience (store), and free legal service. The CBUSU's main focus is advocacy on behalf of its members, and it is also the largest employer of students on the CBU campus.[19]

The Caper Times is a newspaper owned collectively by the students of Cape Breton University and published by the Publishing Board of the Caper Times. It prints 2,000 copies on a fortnightly basis and is distributed on campus and to 25 points across the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and southern Victoria County. The newspaper has been autonomous from the Cape Breton University Students' Union since March 1, 2013. It is a member of the Canadian University Press. The newspaper also publishes an electronic monthly newsletter, CampusLink, which is tailored specifically for Cape Breton University students and faculty. The current Chairperson of the Publishing Board is Sarah Hines and the current Editor-in-Chief is Frederick Boutilier.

CBU is represented in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) association by the Cape Breton University Capers. Men's teams include basketball and soccer, while women's teams include basketball, soccer and volleyball teams. All sports teams wear uniforms with the Caper logo and mascot along with the school color (orange).